By Lindley Lund
Geary USD 475
WICHITA, Kan. – The Junction City High School Chamber Choir has been selected to perform in February at the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) in-service workshop at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita.
This important annual event gathers speakers, performers, and vendors who represent the best of music education throughout the state of Kansas, according to Junction City High School Vocal Music Director Casey Guthals Hageman.
“The Junction City High School Chamber Choir was one of seven high school choirs in the state of Kansas selected to perform at the in-service workshop.
At the workshop, students will have the unique opportunity to perform for many Kansas educators, performers, and clinicians. In addition, they will have the advantage of being able to network with other performers, post-secondary personnel, and recruiters to explore their options following graduation.
The Chamber Choir students were given four weeks to assemble the “Beatitudes” by Hawes, an eight-movement piece that has been described as a “range from uncomplicated to militaristic.” Simultaneously, they were tasked to master “WIPIP!!” by Guillaume, a Haitian-Creole language song, with a theme that translates to “life is beautiful when you love one another.”
“We are incredibly proud of our students’ determination to not only learn, but skillfully perform high-quality music with precision and sensitivity,” Guthals Hageman said.
The Chamber Choir has previously received Superior ratings (I) for the past five years at the Large Group Contest. Fourteen members of the Chamber Choir will be representing the program in the KMEA All-State Ensemble, with four other students being selected as alternates.
The workshop will take place from Feb. 24 to Feb. 26. Parents and community members may watch the Chamber Choir’s performance on Friday, Feb. 25 at 2:45 p.m. in the Hyatt Eagle Ballroom D-H.